The school board has some major decisions to make on Tuesday that could impact even a one-year reassignment plan.
A lot rides on which new schools and renovation projects stay on track or are delayed due to the borrowing crunch. More changes could occur depending on the review of the magnet secondary schools.
One big question is whether the school board should go ahead with the $62.8 million renovation project at Wake Forest-Rolesville High School. While delaying the project would save a lot of money, it could create other problems.
The plan has been to move the Wake Forest-Rolesville students to the new Heritage High for the 2009-10 school year during the renovations.
In 2010-11, the Wake Forest-Rolesville students would return to their campus. Heritage would then officially open holding two separate groups of ninth- and 10th-graders.
One group would be Heritage's students. The other group would be students from H-6 (aka slave cemetery school). The H-6 kids would move to their new campus in 2011-12.
The H-6 school is looking iffy. Its funding was expected to come from a 2009 bond issue but that's not looking likely now.
But even if the H-6 side of the plan falls through, school board member Lori Millberg says there are good reasons to not delay the Wake Forest-Rolesville renovations. She says the school badly needs the renovations and next year offers a brief window in which Heritage can be used as swing space.
If the Wake Forest-Rolesville renovations are delayed, it's likely that Heritage would open as its own school next year. This would mean having to assign students there a year earlier than planned.
Another renovation project that could have complications is the one now underway at Smith Elementary School in Garner.
The Smith students are currently being housed at the new Banks Road Elementary School in Fuquay-Varina for this school year. Once renovations are done, the Smith students would go back to their campus for the 2009-10 school year and kids would be assigned to Banks.
But if the board delays completing the Smith project, they might have to stay at Banks for next year as well. This would mean delaying reassignment for Banks for at least a year.
The district probably wouldn't save as much from delaying the Smith project at this late date. But Rosa Gill, chairwoman of the school board, said it might be worth it because the slowdown in growth could mean Banks isn't as needed next year.
It's uncertain whether keeping Smith students at Banks next year would delay the magnetization of the school.
Speaking of magnetization, any changes in the magnet middle and high schools will have repercussions.
For instance, removing the magnet program at Broughton High School would eliminate having to move students out to create more magnet slots.
Comments
if ever it were clearer, I
Tue, 10/21/2008 - 07:36 — bigwinnieif ever it were clearer, I don't know, WCPSS is TOOO BIG, it's an overwhelming monster with screwed up priorities.....break it up and go back to TEACHING.....
WASTE
Mon, 10/20/2008 - 22:59 — Anonymous (not verified)I was at Knightdate HS recently and I noticed what a pretty building it was. They have a huge brick front entrance that looks great but is a total WASTE of money! Schools don't have to be glamourous, they have to be practicle. I remember people complaining about the 2 story glass atrium at an elementary school (I think it was Briar Creek?), again a waste of tax dollars! There are definately cheaper ways to build schools, but Wake doesnt seem to find them.
Parent-friendly candidates would help, no doubt
Mon, 10/20/2008 - 15:44 — Jon (not verified)Wake County scored very low on parent-friendly policies:
http://www.johnlocke.org/spotlights/display_story.html?id=207
When will it stop......
Mon, 10/20/2008 - 10:50 — Uncle Ruckus (not verified)When will the madness every stop in Wake County. Well, a step in the right direction would be removing the "status-quo SEVEN" from Wake County politics in a few weeks. The next step would be removing the remaining "parent haters" in November 2009.
You must starting looking for "parent friendly" candidates, now!
And so it goes on and
Sat, 10/18/2008 - 11:30 — rr77rr99And so it goes on and on.....the taxpayers and parents of Wake County will suffer endlessly for poor planing and the "programs" WCPSS insists on shoving down our throats for the betterment of the "children."
It's all smoke and mirrors and if you open your mouth, just like with what's going on in the National arena, you are labeled a "rasist" "closed minded" "harsh" "uncaring".
I am pretty sick and tired of working hard to raise my family on a modest income (compared statistically to our friends and neighbors), instilling the values that you work for what you have, handouts and the like are not to be "expected"....
But that seems to be swimming against the tide and mabye it's time to just tell my kids... "stick out your hands get in line" "Whine and complain it's not FAIR" and everything will be fine kiddos.
average cost
Sat, 10/18/2008 - 10:47 — Anonymous (not verified)Average cost of a high school in NC is 61.5 million. It's higher in Wake County because of the higher land prices
What about the power of government in the 5th amendment
Sat, 10/18/2008 - 09:23 — Voice_of_Reason_Something that I never see considered is the power of Imminent Domain used by the county government. It may be a cheaper and better solution than this. This was important enough to write it in the 5th amendment to the US Constitution and has been made easier in recent rulings of SCOTUS. Also why don't we use it in areas around older schools and use the land to expand. If the county wants to save money and stop this insanity at the expense of our children, they should use this power. That's why it was made law.
Emminent Domain
Sun, 10/19/2008 - 12:23 — Uncle Ruckus (not verified)VOR -- oh yes, they have use ED in the past. For instance the "Holly Springs Schools" a few years back. They need about 7 more acres from a neighborhing farmer to complete the track for one of the Schools down there. The guy put up a good fight and was able to get a little more money, but it really mess up this little farm. There are other cases where the WCPSS went after little tracks to make a larger one. However, from what I understand, most folks took the money and ran, cause WCPSS would actually offer actual value for the land. Therefore, ED was not really an major issue yet.
However I can forsee a time with all the growth that ED would be the way for WCPSS to go, instead of paying inflated values of current land. Another great option would be to use "internal" ED and take over large public housing tracts and convert them to schools. Also, there are still some large trailor parks left in Wake County and using ED on them would be a win/win for all.
Of course, this wouldn't be an issued at all IF the WCPSS did something actually intelligent when building schools -- MAKE THEM BIGGER and multi-storied (Build UP not OUT).
You kidding right?
Tue, 10/21/2008 - 23:06 — Sick of It! (not verified)You can't possibly tell me that you think these morons working for the BoE and the WCPSS should just start taking peoples property just because they want it? you gotta be kidding right? if not..tell me where you live..I am coming to get your couch..and your car..I want it!
Wake Up, Wake County! I'm Sick of It!
Well what do you want
Wed, 10/22/2008 - 07:56 — Voice_of_Reason_First off, the BoE couldn't do it without the CC's support. Second, they would have to show justification to the courts. Third, it requires a fair compensation...not just seizing of property. As I said, it is constitutional, are you calling the nation morons for adding it to the constitution. Last time I looked there were few amendments. I am not a supporter of the recent SCOTUS ruling of seizing property for private development, but for schools I am... especially if schools need expanding. It is in the public interest.
As far are your couch comment, since the US Constitution doesn't give you that right.... I will freely exercise my 2nd Amendment rights.... try at your own risk.
ED purpose in part was to prevent price gouging
Sun, 10/19/2008 - 20:04 — Voice_of_Reason_I truly believe this is the way to go and would eliminate all the questionable land deals. I also think we have a lot of "blighted areas" that would benefit from a new school being built in those areas. I agree we need to build up, not out. Those schools that have all the modular units would be prime for adding more permanent space.
Dollars to donuts that
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 15:28 — SideburnsDollars to donuts that Millberg gets her way. Schools will remain unfinished and won't be built as planned but, gosh darn it, the renovations will go on.
$62.8 million?
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 11:35 — gstelmackIs that right? $62.8 million on ONE school? If that figure is the correct one, I'd love to know how they are managing to spend that much money on a single high school.
that is just a re-do
Fri, 10/17/2008 - 22:49 — Sick of It! (not verified)You should see the figures for the latest high shcool they have in the making..the new one on Forestville Rd, as of today, it is 88 million...and that is, if it stays at that cost and does not go over...unbelievable eh? check it out, Betty Parker can give you the figures, if she will tell the truth..they tell you the cost to build the high school is 70 million, then ask 'does that include the land'? the answer is 'No' ask 'how much for the land'? the answer is 4.8 mil, then ask 'does that include removing the huge mound of granite'?, the answer is 'No' then ask 'how much is that'? the answer will vary, but is estimated at 2.1 mil, then ask 'is the land excavating included in that cost'? the answer is 'No' ask 'how much is that'? the answer is 8 mil...see why we are in so much debt? these idiots are spending money like it is water! It is time to stand up and say...
Wake Up, Wake County! I Am Sick of It!
Huh?
Sun, 10/19/2008 - 19:01 — Bob_SconceThat $70M includes furnishings and library books. If you want to get to the construction costs of the school, you have to deduct about $7M.
How much do you think a good high school should cost? The Forestville Rd. school is expected to have 330,000 sq. feet. High Schools have a lot of expensive facilities -- gymnasium, auditorium, computers facilities, athletic fields, music room, stadium, cafeteria, tennis courts, etc....
I understand sticker shock, but complaining isn't constructive. What changes do you believe should be made? If it's "I dunno, just make it cheaper," that won't cut the mustard.
There are MANY options
Mon, 10/20/2008 - 19:50 — Anonymous (not verified)There are many options to build schools cheaper and quicker than WCPSS. There are Dome schools like the one in Wake Forest (School of the Arts). There are factory built permanent modular schools. Each of these 2 basic options have many different companies and methods. Almost all of them can build schools chaeaper and quicker than the current process. And yes, I submitted this to the building committee. They ignored it, why? They would have to use suppliers outside of the WakeEd partnership circle and this would erode support from those businesses.
These schools are NOT about saving money and getting the best value for the citizens, its about giving the supporters of WCPSS and their policies a windfall fo there support.
The actions speak louder than words
Tue, 10/21/2008 - 07:29 — Voice_of_Reason_We build very nice and expensive schools (built to last, they say), then what do we do? Add modular units to them to make them prettier and more efficient. Huh????? Then, we say we need more capacity, so we go MYR too "save money." Why didn't we build less fancy then and get more capacity in the first place; why didn't we build bigger than we need to allow for growth?? Maybe the WakeEd partnership angle may have some merit. Ladies and gentlemen, you tax money at work --- (Didn't someone just say it was your patriotic duty to pay taxes? LOL)... Oh yeah the busing thing too. What will happen when the money runs out? I think that day is nearing.
Have to research
Mon, 10/20/2008 - 14:13 — gstelmackI'd have to do some research to determine what a good price is, but considering the RBC Center was $150 million to build (before the typical overruns), a bit under half that to RENOVATE an already existing school seems a tad excessive.